FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5716

C 214 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Prohibiting manufacture or sale of fraudulent drivers' licenses and identicards.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Financial Services, Insurance & Housing (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice, Winsley, Benton, Kline, McCaslin and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Financial Services, Insurance & Housing

House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance

Background: In addition to documenting a person's driving privilege, drivers' licenses are frequently used to verify identification for banking, check cashing and other transactions, including air travel. The significant increase in financial fraud crimes may be partially related to criminal use of stolen or fictitious drivers' licenses or identicards, as identification to commit fraud. Modern technology enables criminals to forge, steal, alter or counterfeit driver's licenses, and then use the phony identification to commit crimes.

Summary: It is a class C felony to manufacture, sell, or deliver a forged, stolen, fictitious, counterfeit, fraudulently altered or unlawfully issued driver's license or identicard, or develop and sell or deliver a blank license. The jurisdiction of this crime is considered to be in any locality where the victim resides, or in which any part of the crime took place, regardless of whether the defendant was ever physically in that locality.

Drivers' license crimes are only considered class C felonies if committed with criminal intent. For persons under 21, making up to four fake drivers' licenses is a misdemeanor if done for the sole purpose of age misrepresentation.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       48  0

House       86  7    (House amended)

Senate       45  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: July 27, 2003